Starlight
by MaydayParade02
Summary: Joe and Iola have a deep coversation while watching the fireworks one warm summer Fourth of July. Rated T for alcohol and deep philosophy. One-Shot


"Far away, this ship is taking me far away

Far away from the memories, of the people who care if I live or die

The starlight, I will be chasing a starlight,

Until the end of my life,

I don't know if it's worth is anymore"

-Starlight, by Muse

**As awesome as it would be, I do not own Hardy Boys**

Starlight

Joe Hardy sat on a blanket, watching the Fourth of July fireworks with his girlfriend, Iola Morton. They're friends were situated through the trees, at a Fourth of July party they set up. Iola and Joe had chosen to sit themselves by the park lake, out of view of their friends.

Neither of them was paying much attention to the cracking display, brightening the night like a jagged bolt of lightning. They were just talking, finding pleasure in each other's company.

"Really, life comes down to chance," Joe was saying, passing the bottle of brandy he swiped from his parents' stock to her. "You have a chance at achieving the goals you want to, but then again, you don't have a map to tell you which route to take, and it may lead you to a completely different destination that intended."

"So, basically, you're saying no one knows where they're going in life. Someone has their whole life planned but something is bound to get in the way," Iola said, nodding in agreement, her black locks brushing her face.

"It's inevitable," he agreed.

"It all comes down to blind faith, believing without seeing. You have to believe in the things you can't see, in order for life to work out," Iola said, blinking her dark eyes as she did.

"Exactly. There's a difference between seeing and believing than believing and seeing." Joe laughed slightly at himself. "Sorry, I'm strangely philosophical."

Iola nodded, showing it was okay. "I understand. You can see then believe but that's completely different than believing _then_ seeing."

"You're a lot better at explaining the point than me," he chuckled softly.

"Philosophy is meant to be confusing, grasshopper," Iola teased lightly.

"I've thought about minoring in philosophy. Or maybe just take a course."

Iola looked at him, shocked. The fireworks had long since stopped. "What're you planning to major in?"

"Writing," he replied easy. Iola looked at him again, her eyes silently asking _Why?_ And begging him to explain. He picked up the brandy bottle and took a swig.

"Everyone has a purpose," Joe was saying, his blond hair falling in his face, covering his intense blue eyes. "Everyone has to have a purpose. And maybe we'll never know our purpose. Some think they've found their purposes, but then they find something different. Maybe some will find their purpose, while others spend their life and sell their soul searching. Even if we can't chose the life we come from, we can chose the life we build ourselves from there."

Iola nodded, her black curls hanging down her back. "So," she began. "You're saying that you and I don't know our purpose in life."

He nodded. "I thought I figured out my purpose: detective work," he began, cautiously. "But then I realized ... I was really only doing it to fit in with Dad and Frank. Afraid of being left behind."

Iola nodded slowly, knowing that was a big confession for the teen. He normally hid his feelings quite well, but read other's feelings equally as reading feelings, no matter how hard they tried to hide them.

"I often feared the future. The inevitability of death. The though of an ever-lasting infinity in Heaven ... it scared the shit out of me," Iola confided.

"So ... You fear the future and I fear being left behind... How'd you get over that fear? Or at least... I don't know. Quell it?"

"I think, no matter what you did in your life, no matter all the fear, jealousy, and hatred you feel, as long as you love and spread joy to the best of your abilities, God will welcome you to Heaven."

Joe nodded. Both teens slightly wanted to laugh at themselves. They're friends were probably winding down the BBQ and here they were, shoulder to shoulder, discussing philosophy almost the entire time.

Iola took a sip of the brandy, the alcohol leaving a soothing fire in her throat. Joe swigged the rest of the bottle and stuffed the "evidence" (as Iola and Joe liked to call it, since neither of them were old enough to be drinking) in his backpack.

He lay back on the blanket, watching the stars. Iola did the same. "Woah, I have _never_ seen so many stars." Joe nodded, his blue eyes twinkling in silver starlight.

"Yea, it's hard to see them in town. Ya know, with all the lights. It's why I like to sneak out at night... Sit on the roof... Come down here to the lake."

Iola smiled, the starlight bathing the land in a silver glow. She then turned her head towards Joe. "Oh, and Joe? You'll never be left behind. So long as I'm around."

Joe rolled onto his side. Deep brown met intensely bright blue and the pair pulled each other into a kiss, blissfully unaware that two pairs of brown eyes***** saw all of the conversation since the fireworks began.

**A/N I hope you enjoyed it! **

***Frank and Chet went to get them to see if they wanted to come back for the fire show, but heard them talking and listened while watching the fire show. **

**Anyways, once again I hope you liked it!**

**PS, Iola was never killed in this, nor was she going to in the future. **

**See you later!**

**~Faith, **_**The Shadow of the Rain**_


End file.
